Where is Home?
by Varmint
Summary: In a world where Kakuzu sought refuge in Konohagakure well before Takigakure had ever been even thought of, a tale of romance and heartbreak unlike any their world has ever seen blossoms... And shrivels. Hashirama/Kakuzu rare-pair. Huge AU! Three-shot.
1. A New Beginning

A/N: I have been writing for this fandom for years now. This means that I've been writing about these two characters for a while. But, for some reason, even with all of the time spent writing for them and knowing their joint backstory _I never actually wrote a story about these two together and I'm so disappointed in myself that it took me this long to figure out that they're perfect for a rare-pair!_

Anyway, this story is both slash and a huge A/U, so be prepared for a new world, essentially! There will be unimportant original characters and a lot of fan-made lore because... Well... Kakuzu doesn't have much information on him before he joined the Akatsuki. So he's an incredibly malleable character and I'm totally gonna abuse of this fact.

Also, Hashirama is a cinnamon bun of love- like the Akimichi- and deserves all the love. He won't be getting it in this story, though. Not until some tragedies have struck, at least.

Please enjoy~

~..~..~

_Chapter 1: A New Beginning_

Even with all of the time and effort he had put into his dreams, Hashirama had never thought he would live to see the day different ninja banded together to create a _home_ for all of them.

He couldn't believe it... But... With Madara's help, Hashirama's life-long dream was being _accomplished_.

"Affinity?"

"All of us are Earth-Release users."

"Mastery?"

"Only I have S-Ranked skills in this type. The rest of my clan isn't as strong or skilled as I am."

Hashirama could tell that Tobirama was intrigued by the honesty of the man before him. And the elder of the two brothers took time to glance away from the schematics he and Madara had drawn up that morning to get a good look at the shinobi claiming to have such otherworldly control over jutsu.

The tent they had been using to welcome refugees and assign them temporary quarters and employment was a bit on the cramped side, so only three of the supposed twelve clan members had entered to not take up too much space. The other shinobi working with Tobirama were tending to their own refugees- it was an otherwise regular and busy day, nothing really stood out... Until Hashirama's eyes fell on the leader of the shinobi interviewed by his brother.

The first thing that surprised Hashirama was the man's height. He towered over his seated brother and that was a given. But he also stood more than a head taller than the rest of the refugees being interviewed. Immediately, the Senju began to wonder if the man was taller than him. Not only was he tall, but he also seemed to be broad; but that may have just been an assumption based on the rather heavy and frayed dark cloak that covered his frame until it reached a jagged end just above his ankles. The black sandals on his feet had seen their fair share of wear and tear and could stand to be replaced.

Next, Hashirama took stock of the _absolutely unique_ look of his eyes: Blood red sclerae, absolutely no pupils, and the _greenest _irises Hashirama had ever seen. They were such a bright green, even, that they reminded the Senju of a forest in the bright afternoon sun- when the leaves were at their greenest and most beautiful.

"We could make use of your skills." Tobirama grunted as he brought out a stack of forms for the man and his clan members to sign. "You'll need to register everyone under your care, along with their skills, physical descriptions, and any other miscellaneous information- just fill in everything within the form. There are eleven people with you, you said?"

With a stiff nod, the man lifted his gaze away from Tobirama and looked around the tent. Hashirama continued to look at him, completely marveled by the odd green eyes, until, eventually, their gazes met.

Hashirama offered a soft smile.

The man's eyes widened marginally, then his dark lips twitched just slightly. Seeing how Hashirama had been around the likes of Madara and Tobirama long enough, he believed that this was the man trying to smile, yet being too emotionally constipated to allow a full smile.

"Please return these before five in the afternoon." Those intriguing eyes looked away from him and back down at Tobirama as the younger Senju began to speak yet again, "You will most probably be called upon sooner than any of your other clan members to gauge how strong you are. This settlement needs fortification and utilizing the resources around us is something we are heavily considering."

With yet another stiff nod, the man picked up the papers and turned around to face the other two women with him. Hashirama now noted that they all shared some physical characteristics- dark skinned, black haired, and green irises. The clothes of the women were also worn and torn, but they were wearing regular shirts and pants, there were no cloaks covering their bodies.

As the man handed an individual form to each of the woman, they walked out of the tent. And, seeing how all of the refugees were either taken care of or currently being tended to, Hashirama stood from his chair in the back of the tent, rolled up the schematics he had been glancing over, and made his way towards Tobirama.

"Natural fortifications?" He questioned as he placed a hand on his right shoulder, not even earning a simple flinch of acknowledgement from his younger brother.

The white haired Senju folded his hands over the desk before him and sighed, "We discussed the importance of secrecy and protection in this endeavor. I believe that the sooner we set possible limits and begin to hide our presence, the more likely we are to remain safe."

With a hum of understanding, Hashirama handed his brother the schematics Madara had drawn up.

With a dramatic sigh, his little brother unrolled the scroll. And, as soon his eyes fell upon the plans, Tobirama frowned.

Hashirama merely smiled down at his brother. "It's kind of terrifying how similar you two are."

"I am _nothing_ like that Uchiha." He immediately growled, but didn't say anything as he actually began to analyze what Madara had planted. "Not a bad idea- for an Uchiha..." After he said this, his younger brother spent ten more seconds in silence before finishing with, "Rudimentary and childish as they may be, the ideas are not completely horrible. I will take this and fix this, then. Take over for me?"

Hashirama had never been bothered by meeting new people. Actually, he preferred welcoming new settlers to their Land of Opportunity, but Tobirama insisted that he was much too valuable to leave so open to danger on a daily basis. Instead of doing what he enjoyed most, Hashirama was usually relegated to looking over possible ideas for a large infrastructure to gave his approval based on what he was capable of completing and what would realistically work.

With a quick nod, Hashirama shooed his brother off and took his place, throwing himself into working with all newcomers with a large smile exhibiting how happy he was to do this.

~/~

"We should have stayed in our home. What could this land we have no ties to ever possibly offer us?" Kayda pouted up at him in that way she always did whenever she wanted him to give her something.

When they had been younger- before Kakuzu had seen family and friends slaughtered before his eyes; before he had been incarcerated and tortured for being part of the Etō clan; before _he had seen his parents ripped apart before his very eyes_-, Kakuzu would have given his younger sister everything she could ever want. Now, all he wanted was to ensure a modicum of stability and safety in their lives.

The Land of Void was still filled with warring clans and internment camps that were eager to fill their cells with shinobi like him. Kakuzu had witnessed enough in that land to know that he did not want to return until everything had calmed down... And his clan members were not exclusively targeted because of the mistakes committed by their now deceased elders.

"Possibly a vacation." His older sister, Kamiko, shrugged as she filled out the forms given to them by the white haired Senju. "We're not here forever, Kayda. Learn some patience. Kuzu dragged us here for just a couple of months."

That was a lie. He had dragged what little clan members he still had left to this recently born 'village'- that was still no bigger than a large clan's compound- with the intention to settle here and form actual roots away from their original home. His intentions had fully encompassed beginning a new life, far away from the heartless borders of the Land of Void.

But his sisters needed some kind of comfort. And while he could not offer them honesty, he could at least offer his silence and allow them to believe whatever they thought they needed.

Currently, the three siblings were sitting with their fellow clan members on the outskirts of the settlement's constructed lands, utilizing the thick shrubbery around them as shade from the bright summer sun shining over them. The twins, Mamiko and Midori, were bickering over the proper way to fill out the forms they had been given, all the while the rest of his clan worked quietly on their own forms.

Excluding the blind Yuu, out of the eleven able bodied shinobi left of the Etō clan, he was the only male. Twelve clan members: one male elder, one male shinobi, and ten worse-for-wear kunoichi. And Kakuzu had found the role of Clan Head thrust upon him at a mere twenty two years of age. Precisely one year ago, he had become the last capable shinobi of his clan. Precisely on year ago, they had begun their escape from the Land of Void.

He couldn't understand why either of his sisters were willing to return to the land that had destroyed their whole clan. But he didn't want to argue with them. Instead, he wanted to get them to complete these forms as soon as they could so they would be allowed proper entrance into the settlement. He didn't want to spend yet another night under the cover of trees- he missed an actual roof over his head.

"Just answer everything honestly. These aren't our enemies. I don't need any of you messing anything up for us." He growled loud enough to be heard by everyone around him, immediately earning looks of scorn and distrust from the clan members that had fought against getting uprooted from the Land of Void.

"These _are_ our enemies, boy." Yuu, of course, was the first- _and only_\- to undermine his orders. "We are of the proud Etō clan. Our hands have been stained with the blood of many clans- the Senju included. This preposterous project of a village for shinobi is nothing more than a childish dream that will implode within a handful of years. Having us play along with this charade is a juvenile decision on your part."

He had never been a fan of the clan's elders. They were crass and proud- _over confident_ even in their old age; even as said age ailed them and rendered them weak and vulnerable.

"The Land of Void annihilated our clan!" He finally shouted, earning surprised gasps from some of the clan members around him. "We were hunted down like _dogs_ and thrown into internment camps- or has the ink on your arms somehow magically evaporated?" With a growl, he forcefully grabbed the sleeves of his cloak and lifted the cloth up to his elbows, exposing the forearms that were scarred by circular tattoos he had never consented to. "This new Village is offering us something that the Land of Void would _never_ even consider for us: a _safe_ life."

With a cruel glower on his face, Kakuzu looked every single member of his clan in the eyes. They all shared the same vibrant green eyes, dark skin, and dark hair, but none of the women around him shared his ability to completely obscure all emotions from their faces- their worried and surprised faces were all Kakuzu needed to see to know that they had not been expecting his outburst. They had thought they could push without him giving in; they had been _wrong_.

Quite frankly, it was a testament to his patience how long he had put up with their _shit_.

"Fill in the forms and hand them to me. I'm going to make sure none of you mess up." He finished with a hiss, then made his way back towards his sisters and grabbed one blank form from Kayda's frozen hands. "And if you don't want to piss me off any further, you better finish everything in silence."

~/~

Hashirama had been expecting the man with the vibrant green eyes to come back. He wanted to get to talk to him and ask him a bit about his life and clan. He believed that, as one of the main proponents to this village of shinobi, he had the duty of getting to know everyone that came to make a home here; even if he could only get to know basic details.

When the man entered through the tent, it was around 4:30 in the afternoon and most of the refugees and other workers had left and left him and Tobirama in the tent in the event of any possible stragglers appearing by the end of the workday. Hashirama was the only one seated at the main desk, though, seeing how Tobirama had curled into himself in the back of the tent with the plans of natural fortifications they could invest in.

"Good afternoon!" He greeted as the tall man slowly walked towards him, standing up to- secretly- gage just how tall the man was.

Once they were only separated by a table and a couple of inches, Hashirama was intrigued to see that they were just about the same height... Maybe the man was shorter than him by only a couple millimeters, really. That was truly odd; Hashirama was accustomed to being the tallest person in most situations. Not many gave him competition.

"My clan has filled out all their papers. Everything seems to be within order." His deep voice sounded as if it came straight from his stomach- a rather soothing tone. "Is there any other thing we must complete before we are allowed within your walls?"

Seeing how the stack of papers was being offered to him, Hashirama took it and began to look them over. With a quick glance at the papers, he was able to learn that these twelve refugees were from the Etō clan, which had once gone to war with the Senju decades ago before they had been run out of the Land of Fire. If he were a cynic, he would consider their circumstances ironic, considering how the Etō had been the clan to claim the unworthiness of the Land of Fire so long ago. But he wasn't- he just wanted to help these people as much as he could.

Aside from learning their clan name, he was able to see a rather interesting pattern within the given names of five of the clan members. Three of their names began with the same letter, while two others shared their own first letter: 'K' and 'M'. None of the other members shared any other characteristics within themselves- only their clan name was shared.

Most had checked the 'Active Shinobi' box, while only one had marked the 'Retired Shinobi'. Their ages were varied- ranging from seventeen all the way to forty five. And, from what he could see in the various boxes checked within the different forms when it came to the 'Skills' category, they were an extremely versatile group.

"If you've all signed the terms to entering our village, I see no reason to keep you outside any longer." Hashirama murmured as he finished looking over the forms, then looked back up with a smile on his face. "Let me be the first to welcome your clan into Konohagakure. I know it doesn't look like much at the moment, but we're working on becoming something great!"

If Hashirama had been anyone else, he would not have noticed the slight twitch of those curious green eyes as they widened only marginally. But he had Tobirama as a brother and Madara as a best friend- he was accustomed to seeing these minute movements that betrayed emotion. It was, like with his brother and best friend, amusing to see.

"Thank you very much." The man mumbled almost numbly, which made Hashirama nod.

"No worries." As he said this, he grabbed the standard refugee-level permission slip and offered it to him, "Once you get to the guards at the main gate, give them this. They'll show you to your temporary quarters- unfortunately, we don't have many constructions completed yet and are kind of behind schedule when it comes to offering everyone within our boundaries permanent homes. You'll all be under a tent, I'm sad to say."

The man stared at him in astonishment for a moment. Hashirama continued to smile at him, although he did begin to feel somewhat self-conscious over the fact that he had somehow shocked this man beyond words by just being himself. His smile began to falter.

Finally, after a couple of seconds of intense staring, the man moved his hand and dumbly grabbed at the paper. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze to glower down at the ground, "Thank you."

He turned around and quickly walked off after that, leaving Hashirama to sigh in slight pity.

How long had it been since he had last been treated kindly by someone other than his clan? It must have been a long time if he had been surprised by Hashirama's own, rather tame by his standards, acts of kindness. Really, he was just being polite!

After a couple of seconds of standing there, just staring at the opening of the tent, Hashirama sat down. He remained somewhat stunned before he felt a hand come down on his shoulder. When he glanced up, it was to find Tobirama frowning down at him.

"Didn't I tell you that if the Etō leader came back you were to hold him here?"

Hashirama immediately looked away from his brother's angered glare and scratched at the back of his neck. Honestly, he couldn't remember Tobirama having asked such a- oh, wait, no. He remembered now. Whoops.

"Sorry." He managed to breathe out, then offered a lopsided smile, "Well, at least now he'll be able to rest up a little before you put him to work."

Somehow, Tobirama's frown managed to deepen.

"Tomorrow morning, at eight in the morning, you will seek him out. You will bring him to the southeastern borders we have established and keep him there until I am able to arrive." His younger brother demanded, leaving Hashirama with the urge to sigh dramatically.

Even though Hashirama had been the main proponent for a village of shinobi, Tobirama had been the driving force behind safety and political plans. Because of this- and because he was a rather neurotic person innately- he took everything that dealt with such topics with the utmost severity of someone three times his age. Sometimes it was very easy to forget that he was only twenty years old.

Hashirama took a moment to ponder on what his brother wanted him to do, then decided that he wouldn't really mind getting to know the man with the blood red sclerae and emerald green eyes some more.

"Maybe we can even get some breakfast- Oh, I can take him to meet the Akimichi cooks so he knows where to find a free meal in case-"

His brother cut him off with a simple slap to his shoulder. "I better not arrive before the both of you." Was the warning growl as he turned around and began to walk away from his brother. "I will see you tomorrow."

Without turning to even look at his older brother one final time, Tobirama walked out of the tent. This left Hashirama to tend to boredom until five o'clock hit and he was no longer morally obligated to stay in case any other refugees appeared to seek aid.

~/~

It had been a very long time since anyone had treated him with more than just reluctant politeness. And he wanted to say that he wasn't affected in any way by such a novel display of kindness... But he hadn't been expecting it.

The white haired Senju had been all business. Respectful, but distant. He had been just another person they had met, albeit one that had not denied them any common decency as soon as he had found out that the Etō clan had been audacious enough to seek asylum in a land they had proclaimed, decades ago, undeserving of their grandeur.

But this dark haired man... He had greeted him with a kind smile and an actual message of welcome. As if that hadn't been enough, he'd welcomed their infamous clan with open arms into this shinobi village without sparing a thought... He had been _kind_. Not only that, but he had excused himself for them not having an actual building for them to utilize, even though all Kakuzu really wanted was a ceiling over his head, be it cloth, wood, or cement.

Now- after having spent a night sleeping in a mostly secure settlement, surrounded by his still alive clan members and other refugees- Kakuzu felt _grateful_.

The Land of Void may have been his home at one point. But the Land of Fire was much more welcoming than it had ever been.

"I still don't understand why we couldn't have stayed in the Land of Heaven. If we had gone underground for a couple of years, everything would have quieted down. And we _wouldn't_ have been seen as cowards." Asuka grouched as she sharpened the bladed end of the sickle that made up part of her kusarigama, all the while Doi oiled the chains for her. "We gave up a large part of our name because of Kakuzu."

The thirty four year old Asuka was the second oldest of their group, beaten only by Yuu. Doi, on the other hand, was so young that it bothered Kakuzu to have her so attached to the surly widow. She was learning the old ways of her clan and remained closed off from any new ideas or possibilities. A seventeen year old was supposed to want to rebel against tradition, not follow it so blindly.

With a small sigh, Kakuzu walked out of their temporary quarters to get some fresh air. Even though they had all gone to sleep with warm blankets and full stomachs thanks to the dinner they had been offered by some charitable Hagane, his clan was still not content. He believed they would not be content until they returned to the Land of Void and their clan was finally eradicated.

When he stepped out, it was to find a bright blue sky dotted with picturesque white clouds and a lazy breeze billowing all around him. This plot of land had been cleared of a good part of its vegetation and was mostly dirt, but there was something comforting about the sight of buildings in construction and long lines of tents that housed other refugees that Kakuzu had not found in the forests as they fled from slaughter.

He took a moment to close his eyes and think about possible jobs he could offer to do in exchange of money so his clan could begin to form actual riches. But his thoughts were derailed when he heard a hearty cheer resonate before him.

When he opened his eyes, it was to find the dark haired Senju smiling broadly as his left arm waved erratically. Kakuzu quirked an eyebrow at this, confused over the man's actions, then looked around to see if there was anyone else the man could be looking at. But there was no one else outside at this hour.

"I'm glad to find you awake, Kakuzu!" The man laughed for a moment as he stopped a couple of feet away from him all the while he placed his hands on his hips. "I'm sure you remember my brother- the white haired man you spoke with yesterday? Well, he wants you to come with me today."

Why would they- _right_. His skill in Earth-Release.

"I didn't think I would be needed so soon." He admitted in a slight daze, then took a step into the large tent and poked his head inside, looking for either of his sisters.

Kayda was looking at him with wide eyes, hands clutching at the raggedy coin pouch she had kept since Kakuzu had gifted it to her five years ago. It was almost completely empty.

He could remember a time when it had been so full, it had almost burst.

"Kayda, I'm going to work. Keep the clan in their place and make sure no one steps out of line. We have an actual chance here."

She frowned at him, clearly as disapproving of staying here as the rest of their clan, but still nodded. Even though they were not happy with their current situation, Etō clan tradition still called for complete obedience to the clan head from the kunoichi. Only other males were able to question decisions made by him. Yuu was the only person capable of questioning him, even though he was unable to fight him for the position of clan head. They were stuck with him and his decisions. And all because of a blind faith in tradition.

His family were _fools_.

Once he had finished making sure that all of his clan members were indeed within the tent- most were still asleep on their bedrolls-, Kakuzu walked back out and turned to the man that had come to seek him out.

"Let's go."

The man nodded and turned around, motioning with his hand for Kakuzu to follow. The male did so without asking any of the thousands of questions that were running through his mind.

It was only when they neared a small building that had delicious scents wafting from it that the man spoke to him again, "The name's Hashirama, by the way. Hashirama Senju."

Kakuzu froze in place even as the man began to walk up the steps that led into the quaint building.

_The mythical Hashirama Senju?_

The God of Shinobi... Seeking a refugee out for his help?

New questions surged within. But Kakuzu stamped down on his curiosity and followed the man into the house, merely grunting, "Kakuzu Etō."

~/~

"My brother, Tobirama, is obsessed with creating fortifications for our boundaries- but natural ones." Hashirama explained as they neared the rendezvous point Tobirama had requested of him. "He believes that creating a mountain chain around us would be one of the best ways to deter any unwanted visitors."

"_Creating_ mountains?" Kakuzu questioned with clear doubt, "How does he plan to do such a thing?"

Hashirama offered the man a small smile as he clasped his hands behind his head and glanced up at the morning sky. "I'm guessing he's got something planned with Earth-Release users. How exactly he is thinking of accomplishing such a feat I do not know- he has refused to offer me more than just a couple of undetailed ideas. He is a rather dramatic individual that likes to make people think he is more mysterious than he actually is."

They had left the busy under-construction areas of the plot of land they had decided to call Konohagakure long ago. Now they were in the densely forested areas surrounding the small settlement, surrounded by tall trees and the songs of various animals scurrying about. Far away enough to not have to worry about any prying eyes, but close enough to reach the settlement in less than thirty minutes if they were to hurry.

With a small scoff, Kakuzu further allowed Hashirama to hear his doubt in the idea. "I have never heard of such a thing."

He couldn't stop himself from being amused at such... Well... _Close-minded_ thoughts.

"You've never seen someone with exceptional skill in Wood Release, have you?"

"Last I heard, the Senju were the only ones able to wield such a style, _Senju_."

Without voicing it out, Kakuzu let him know that, no, he had never seen such a marvel. And Hashirama turned around to offer him a bright smile, "No worries. I promise to show you how I can make a tree house in less than a minute."

The man actually groaned at him... And Hashirama could not stop himself from chuckling at the reaction.

Even though they had only just met, Hashirama felt extremely _comfortable_ around Kakuzu. And he very much enjoyed this reality.

They remained in silence after this until they reached the spot where Tobirama had asked them to go, only to find Hashirama's younger brother scowling at his fellow Senju.

"You are never punctual."

"We stopped for breakfast. And it was great, right Kakuzu?"

Behind him, he heard a soft grunt. "Beats rations any day."

_Ouch_.

Hashirama was immediately hit by the fact that Kakuzu was not a Land of Fire native and was still, very much, a refugee trying to rebuild his life.

… Had he by any chance ever heard of him and his skills? Because, if he had, he was acting extremely _normal_ around him... Maybe he hadn't heard of Hashirama Senju or the ludicrous God of Shinobi title.

Somehow, Hashirama was extremely comforted by this idea.

"You had one job, brother." Tobirama shook his head in disdain, then scoffed and made his way to stand before Kakuzu.

Hashirama moved to the side so he could see the interaction, lowering his hands from behind his head so they were resting comfortably within his pants' pockets.

"I would like for you to create the largest wall from the earth around us as you possibly can. Use as much chakra as you have. This will be the only task you must complete today."

His brother sure was an odd one. But he undoubtedly had a reason for such a petition. So Hashirama offered a reassuring smile at the leader of the Etō clan and made his way towards a rather sturdy tree, that had an incredibly thick base and unbelievable height, and leaned his back against it.

There wasn't much more for him to do other than sit back and enjoy the show- whatever that may have been.

~/~

Tobirama was the name of the white haired Senju. Hashirama was his older brother and they were separated in age by two years.

From what he had gathered from the extremely talkative Hashirama, the village of Konohagakure was still in the beginning stages of its creation. Its inception had been a lifelong plan that had taken an unbelievable amount of years to begin to make a reality. And establishing this as a viable place of living for shinobi had been one of the hardest things the Senju and Uchiha clan had ever managed to accomplish successfully.

Apparently, this vast land within the Land of Fire was poorly documented by the Land of Fire's governmental body, seeing how the daimyo had never been particularly interested in this area while the shinobi clans had killed one another. Because not many outside of the warring clans had documented the landscapes, Tobirama had come to the conclusion that they would be able to change the layout of the land as they pleased to create natural defenses for their village. The main objective was to help their Village remain hidden from most and, with large mountains, to deter many from wanting to even come here and find out what nature kept secret.

It was an interesting idea. And, with enough competent shinobi, Kakuzu was sure that he would be able to achieve the results he wished to ascertain.

What he could not fully come to understand, though, was why an outsider that had only just recently arrived was being trusted with this information. These two were clearly the leaders behind the creation of this settlement- why would they be trusting someone so new to aid with something so _important_?

No matter. He had answered them honestly and the one thing his parents had drilled into him before they had met their unfortunate demise was that honest work always bore the best fruits.

Hashirama moved off to the side, all the while Tobirama moved to stand behind Kakuzu. This allowed the Land of Void native access to a seemingly infinite stretch of forest to mold to his whims.

Closing his eyes, Kakuzu took a moment to ground himself and envision the soil beneath his feet. He crouched down and laid his palms flat on the grassy surface, extending his chakra beneath him to get a good gage of precisely what kind of soil he would be working with- fertile and pliant; some of the easiest to manipulate.

After he had taken stock of what he would be working with, the man began to contemplate precisely what kind of creation he should work on. Even though Tobirama had said wall, that was really not the best structure to get a proper gage of a ninja's mastery over this element. Walls could seem thick and sturdy outwardly, but were so thin when compared to other structures that they could be flimsy within and no one but the creator would truly know this.

A mound was much harder to create. It required precise knowledge of radius and origin to create a proper base, and then the structure within had to be compact and sturdy to hold up the weight that would pile up with the height it reached.

Out of both possibilities that came to mind, the mound was the shape closest to a mountain- which was undoubtedly the endgame the younger Senju wanted to reach with the aid of people that had an affinity like his own.

Inhaling a steadying breath, Kakuzu sat down cross-legged on the ground with his arms stretched out before him, back rounded in the stretch. He counted to four, held his breath, then exhaled slowly and heavily.

Without wasting another second, he pressed his fingertips onto the ground and began to collect his chakra within his center, then allowed it to be directed up into his arms and out towards the dirt below.

First he softened the ground before him, rendering it even more maleable than it had already been. Afterwards he quickly searched around him with his chakra, making sure that there were no animals that would be affected by the change he would be creating in this space. Once he was pleased with his search, he shoved a heavy burst of chakra through the ground and into where he had envisioned the origin of his mound to be.

He didn't open his eyes. He barely even registered the sound of crawling soil and creaking trees. Instead, he remained wholly focused on his task, spreading the ground evenly to create a large base for the mound he would be creating.

Because he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, he was not sure to which brother the murmur of amazement had belonged to. He guessed it must have been Hashirama, though, seeing how Tobirama did not seem to be the kind of person that would allow such awe to be acknowledged by other people.

The reason as to the murmur of amazement?

Within seconds of having created a firm foundation that spanned, roughly, at least one kilometer- which protruded a couple of centimeters from the ground but must have looked rather unassuming- the ground began to shoot upwards. Kakuzu forced his chakra deep into the ground, propelling it at an incredible speed high into the air.

Sweat began to fall down his temple even as his shoulders and jaw locked.

His reserves were beginning to wane. The creation of such a broad base had taken a lot out of him. But he couldn't stop. He needed to create something sturdy and show precisely how capable he was in this style.

Frowning, the man ignored the minute shaking in his arms. Instead he focused solely on plunging his chakra deeper into the soil so he could drive it up further and further, although making it draw in on the sides the further altitude it reached.

It was when he heard a gasp of horror that he noticed he needed to stop.

But the dirt he had moved was not stable. If he stopped now, it would crumble.

Ignoring the warm liquid now falling from the corners of his eyes, Kakuzu tensed his whole body and buckled up, forcing the ground he had moved to harden. It took at least a full minute to fully change the structure of the mound from pliable dirt into a hardened and sturdy substance, but he was able to do it.

When he was finished, he let out a heavy exhale. As he did so, he rolled his shoulders back and winced at the burning that now consumed his whole body.

"Are you alright?" He distinctly heard Hashirama question.

He didn't feel enough energy to speak. So, instead, he nodded blindly.

He had yet to open his eyes.

"That... Was impressive."

"Who cares?" Hands were now on his shoulders and the slight movement backwards they elicited sent Kakuzu's head into a dizzying spiral. "That was too much for one person. You're _bleeding,_ Kakuzu!"

Even with the lightheadedness and pain he was under, Kakuzu felt like he had to explain to them the curse their clan's males had inherited when they were born with inhuman chakra reserves. But there was darkness consuming him and the pull of sleep was much too strong for him to ignore.

~/~

He was bleeding. From his _eyes_.

Hashirama had never seen anything like this before in his life. And he immediately began to freak out.

As soon as blood began to trickle from the inner corner of Kakuzu's left eye, Hashirama pushed away from his perch by the tree and walked towards him. But it was when blood was started to _spew_ from the outer and inner corners of both eyes that the Senju ran to Kakuzu and crouched down in front of him.

Kakuzu didn't say anything- he remained deathly silent.

When he questioned if he was alright, trying to get an answer out of him, the man still said nothing. Tobirama was the one to speak up, sounding absolutely astonished by the grand show of power from the bleeding man. Hashirama hissed at the fool, incredibly worried over the fact that one single man had just created an incredibly impressive hill in the span of only a handful of _minutes_.

"What is wrong with you?" He questioned as Kakuzu's body lurched forward, dropping lifelessly forward.

If Hashirama had not been there to catch him, he would have fallen onto the ground. But, likely, the Senju _had_ been there. And he caught him with a soft grunt, seeing how Kakuzu was as heavy as an active shinobi his height should have been.

"I asked and he delivered so much more. I'm truly impressed." Even though he couldn't see Tobirama, Hashirama just _knew_ that he was shrugging nonchalantly. "With someone like him, our plans are more likely to be successful."

Of course. Tobirama was only contemplating on Kakuzu's usefulness- not on how much he may have just strained or hurt himself by this show of control.

"If your grand plan of a mountain range surrounding Konoha is going to cause this to him or any other, I will immediately veto it." Hashirama growled as sat on the ground, turning Kakuzu over to look over his face.

He was still breathing, _thank kami_. And the flow of blood from his eyes seemed to be slowing. So Hashirama was afforded a couple of seconds of relief- the man hadn't just killed himself completing an order issued by his idiot of a brother.

"We'll need to recruit more than just him to complete a whole mountain range, brother... Although, with this beginning, I would dare say Kakuzu would likely be capable of completing it all himself- although it would take a long amount of-"

"Tobirama?"

"Hmm?"

"Please shut up."

His brother scoffed, but Hashirama completely ignored him. Instead, he busied himself by moving Kakuzu's unconscious body until it was laying completely on his back and his head was rested on the Senju's lap.

After a couple of seconds of silence, Hashirama heard his brother's footsteps walking away from him. Then he heard Tobirama murmur, from farther away than he had previously been, "At least this is a good beginning for what I have planned."

When he craned his neck to look, he found his brother right beside the giant mount that had been constructed from Kakuzu's hard work. In essence, the upper layout of the land had not been changed- it was a large hill covered with the same trees and bushes that had been there before the man had set to work. But it was tall, much taller than either Senju brother, and seemed to be completely sturdy ground.

Crouched by the beginning of the hill, with his hand splayed on the ground, Tobirama hummed as he nodded, "That is extremely dense rock. The rest of the structure is stable and tough- the soil is even stronger than that which surrounds us. Your _friend_," He spat sarcastically, "Is more capable then either of us expected."

Hashirama frowned at Tobirama then looked back at Kakuzu's serene face.

There were no lines on his skin anymore- and Hashirama was able to see exactly how heavily the man frowned. He hadn't thought much of the wrinkles before, but, now that they were gone, it was a huge difference. He didn't know if this was a conscious effort or completely accidental... But he looked much younger now. He even looked to be near their age, actually. Before, he had seemed older by at least a handful of years.

"I'll be heading back into Konoha to begin rounding up a group of Earth-Release users. I am guessing you will stay with him until he has awakened."

Even though it was supposed to be a question, it seemed Tobirama did not care enough about his answer to wait for him. Instead, he began to walk away from Hashirama, not even sparing another glance at him.

"I sometimes wonder how we are related, dearest brother." Hashirama grunted, hand subconsciously moving to push strands of hair out of the unconscious man's face.

"I stopped wondering long ago and came to the decision that it is better to just not think on the matter."

His brother should have been a comedian.

~/~

Waking up was an unexpectedly pleasant ordeal.

Even though his body felt like melted lead had been allowed to harden over him; even though he had a splitting migraine that threatened to destroy his head; even though his stomach was rolling and his throat was so tight he felt like he could barely even breathe... He still, somehow, didn't feel completely horrible.

There was the softest of touches running over his scalp, carding deft fingers through the strands of his hair. It was a feather-light touch, but, somehow, heavy enough to keep him grounded and concentrated on it.

With a small sigh, Kakuzu allowed himself to sink deeper into the warmth blanketing his back.

"At least buy a guy lunch, hmm, Kakuzu?"

The voice was familiar... A deep rumble that ran straight through his spine.

Instinctively, he grunted, "Don't waste money."

His throat scratched as he tried to force the words out and they even ended up breathy and barely above a whisper.

The person carding their hands through his hair chuckled softly. They didn't say anything afterwards- merely continued to run their fingers through his long hair.

Eventually, Kakuzu forced his eyes to open and look at his companion... And was left stunned when he found the peacefully smiling face of Hashirama Senju.

_The voice had been male_.

He should move.

His body refused.

Every single cell within him screamed at him to move- to get away from the man because such an position for two males was uncouth and condemnable.

But he couldn't move.

He wanted to tense up, to physically show Hashirama he was uncomfortable with the fact that his head was now laying on the man's lap. But his body refused to do such a thing- if anything, it seemed to relax even further into the warm lap.

Hashirama's eyes were closed, but his lips were curved into a peaceful smile.

_He had never seen someone so beautiful before in his life._

* * *

1\. Land of Void comes from the term Void within the Japanese Buddhist philosophy of the five elements: water, earth, fire, wind, and void, or aether. Void in this case means "sky" or "heaven". And seeing how, from all of the lands in Naruto, the only thing missing was this specific part, I decided to name Kakuzu's fan-made home origin be named like this. The topography is incredibly mountainous and these mountains reach some incredible heights, hence why the land is known to have some connection with the heavens.

2\. The Etō is my original creation and is, essentially, a very hierarchy oriented clan with deep-rooted respect for patriarchy. Next chapter, there will be even more information on them. But the most you need to understand about this clan is that it extremely conservative and believes that tradition is _always_ right *cough cough* homophobic jerks *cough cough*.

3\. You don't need to know any of the original characters names because they're not really all that important. But I did decide to give the Etō the tradition of naming siblings with similar names, hence Kamiko, Kakuzu, and Kayda and Mamiko and Midori.

4\. This story will have three chapters: _A New Beginning_, _Our __Wretched Misery_, and _The Traitor's Stolen Heart. _They're supposed to be posted on a monthly basis... Because these chapters will be _long_.

Finally, I thank you for reading this chapter! I really do appreciate all of my readers and hope I bring all of you some semblance of joy with the novel rare-pairs I randomly come up with.

Please review and tell me what you thought!


	2. Our Wretched Misery

A/N: Thank you all for the follow, favorites, and reviews! I'm really happy to see that there are other weirdoes out there that want to read about rare-pairs and huge AU's!

Please enjoy~

~..~..~

_Chapter 2: Wretched Heartbreak_

Hashirama Senju was dangerous for Kakuzu's well being.

He would have loved to have been able to say that this was a man he could easily ignore. It would have been great to minimize any sort of impact the God of Shinobi had made in Kakuzu's life. And it would have been dangerous to allow said impact to be found out by the rest of his family.

But he couldn't deny the way his heart would begin to speed up whenever he would notice the older Senju brother walking towards him. He couldn't just ignore the way that he found himself _wanting _to see Hashirama at the beginning of the day so they could go out for breakfast together. He couldn't make himself believe that he _didn't_ become somewhat anxious to not mess up whenever the Senju was around.

Never before had he felt so oxymoronically eager and anxious to spend time with someone. In his twenty three years of life, he had never yearned to be around another person as much as he feared being with them.

And the worst part was that the Senju didn't even seem to notice the effect he had on him.

"This is Kakuzu, Madara. He's the Etō clan head I told you about- the one that's going to be helping us with your plan for a mountain chain around Konoha."

Madara Uchiha. Hashirama's best friend. For the past two weeks Kakuzu had been in Konoha, helping out wherever he was assigned to, he had heard from Hashirama how much this man was like Tobirama and how little those two got along. Because of the Senju's rather large mouth, Kakuzu knew more about the Uchiha than he actually cared to.

Now that he saw the man's face and was able to judge him physically, he could agree that Madara _did_ have a mysterious allure about him that would make simple women swoon. But it was no surprise not many kunoichi actually tried to get to know this man for a relationship- he seemed to be stuck in the rebellious phase of sixteen years old.

Dark eyes narrowed as Madara did nothing to hide the fact he was sizing Kakuzu up.

Kakuzu believed it prudent to, in return, do nothing to hide the fact that he didn't actually care about getting judged by him. Hashirama's best friend or not, this man was just another person he met within a refuge. He was no one important to Kakuzu.

Turning back to the garment he had been sewing, Kakuzu grunted out, "I don't go on break for another hour, Senju. And I'm not some exhibit to be gawked at."

Kayda wasn't very amused with the fact that Hashirama had returned to pester her brother during work hours, _yet again_. And she made it very clear by frowning and using too much force on the loom she was currently working on to create a dark purple tunic. Kakuzu, bothered by the lack of attention to her work, frowned at her- she had been contracted by one of their wealthiest customers to make that and it needed to be perfect if they wanted to keep her business.

"Oh, I know, Kuzu. We're just bored."

"I have more than enough work to do. You are the one that needs constant entertainment, Hashirama." Madara's voice was deep, coming directly from the bottom of his throat. It was also no-nonsense in a way that was similar to Tobirama's own... Maybe Hashirama was onto something.

"You needed a break, Madara. Izuna told me about your migraines." Hashirama's tone spoke of severity and Kakuzu stopped himself from sighing in annoyance at this.

He didn't need any of this in his workplace. They had only _just_ managed to acquire this plot of land for the Etō clan and were trying to continue earning money so they could improve their lives. If he wasn't working, he wasn't making money. But Hashirama didn't really seem to understand this because he had no qualms about intruding on his job whenever he wanted.

"Kayda, I'll be back in an hour."

Hashirama clapped a heavy hand onto his shoulder and the warmth that sent through Kakuzu's body seeped deep into the muscle he just noticed felt rather tired.

With a small sigh, the man cursed himself for being so vulnerable to this bright eyed dolt.

~/~

Kakuzu and Madara, in the very beginning, got along about as well as Kakuzu and Tobirama did: just enough.

Hashirama believed that it was because all three of them were so quiet and private that they didn't make _close _friends. But it was precisely because of these very attributes that they happened to get along well enough.

But this uneasy comradery ended rather quickly, amazingly enough. And it was an end for the better.

As they ate, He was the one to supply most of the conversation starters. He was the one to ask the questions that served as ice breakers for either of his friends. And he was the one to keep offering interesting conversational topics whenever they hit quiet lulls. Or, at least, that had been job for a good part of their time together. That had ended, though, when Hashirama had let slip that Kakuzu had been the person to set the pace for their Natural Defense Project.

Madara's face had become unreadable for just a second- in that way that let Hashirama know that Madara was absolutely impressed but did not want anyone else to find out that he felt actual human emotions. And then he had begun to ask Kakuzu about his skills, just how much building that first mound had taken out of him, and soon enough they had wound up exchanging war stories.

All the while Madara and Kakuzu spoke about some strategies they had both employed in their own time to protect their own families, Hashirama merely busied himself by eating his food. Even though he could offer his own input into the conversation, he didn't feel like it. If anything, he would rather just allow these two to find common ground on their own.

Besides, there was a guilty voice in the back of his head that stopped him from talking about his own decisions in times of war. Many clans had lost almost all of their members because of the ceaseless, meaningless fighting. And he knew that he was not innocent of having taken quite a few Uchiha lives- it would be odd to speak about how he had done exactly this in front of Madara.

By the time he had finished his meal, he could see the surprised acceptance shining within Madara's eyes. And when he looked at Kakuzu, he found a rather similar spark within those incredibly unique eyes.

"Hn, I've got to go." Kakuzu grumbled as those eyes met his own, which immediately made Hashirama frown.

"The conversation just became stimulating." Madara's tone would have sounded snide or even insulting to many other people, but Hashirama knew better than this. Madara was not upset because he thought that Kakuzu had been boring up until now. He was upset because Kakuzu had to leave and this new creature that offered enjoyment would be gone and he'd have to go back to a boring life with the annoying Hashirama pressuring him into not becoming a hermit.

"My lunch hour is up." The man sighed softly, as if he lamented acknowledging this. "I have to continue working."

Madara frowned but nodded, "Of course. Maybe Hashirama can set up another lunch like this- _with_ your knowledge this time."

Kakuzu hummed and stood up, then pulled out his wallet from within his large coat. Hashirama narrowed his eyes as the man began to count out the money necessary to pay for what he had ordered. Not only had Kakuzu ordered one of the cheapest items on the menu, but he had ordered nothing to drink- it would not be a big bother for either him or Madara to pay for him.

"Put that away, Kuzu. I'll pay for you today." He smiled at his friend... But soon found himself regretting having spoken up.

The flash of _insult_ that flashed in Kakuzu's eyes... The pain that suddenly seemed to consume his face... And then the disappointed frown that took over his features...

Had... Had he said the wrong thing?

"I can pay for myself."

Kakuzu's voice... Why was it suddenly so cold? Hashirama had _never_ heard him sound like this.

Hashirama had been so stunned by the sudden shift in his friend's attitude that he wasn't able to recover before the man had left. When he finally got over his shock, it was to find Kakuzu's payment on the table and a very distinct lack of his friend.

To his side, he heard Madara scoff. "What... What did I do?"

"Personally, I don't understand why he felt insulted." Madara shrugged as he stood up from his own chair, picking up the ryo left on the table so he could go ahead and pay for them. "But I'm guessing that it had something to do with money. Good luck. That is not my problem."

Hashirama blinked at his oldest friend, but was ignored by him. Madara walked off to pay their meal, leaving Hashirama all alone with his thoughts.

~/~

Fortunately for him, Hashirama did not come bother him for a while after the unbelievable insult onto his person.

For many, Kakuzu had overreacted. For his clan and pride, he should have done something drastic to ensure Hashirama Senju was never capable of insulting him like this ever again.

There was no greater insult to a member of the Etō clan than to offer _pity_. They were a proud clan that thrived off their own adversity. Weakness was frowned upon and obliterated. Only the strongest were allowed to flourish. Having someone, no matter how close to the member of the clan, offer to _help_... It was tantamount to spitting on the graves of their ancestors.

Hashirama did not know this. No one within the Land of Fire knew this. This was a custom from the Land of Void that had begun to die off a few decades ago. In Hashirama's defense, only Kakuzu's family knew about this insult within Konohagakure. So when he had offered to pay for Kakuzu's food, he had done so out of kindness and not because he had wanted to ridicule Kakuzu's status as a refugee.

Rationalizing this reality, though, did nothing to wash away the burning pain of _powerlessness_ that Hashirama had unwittingly created.

"You are aware that he's terrified of speaking with you?"

Kakuzu grunted at the brother's question, more than aware of the fact that Hashirama proved to be smart enough to avoid him after what he had done. He didn't say anything, though, and instead prepared himself mentally for the task he would embark on once the rest of Tobirama's recruits arrived.

With a grunt of his own, Tobirama stepped away. He left Kakuzu with the blueprints within his hands, allowing the man to completely contemplate his newest objective. And he walked over to the shinobi that walked up to the clearing they would be working from.

When Madara arrived, Kakuzu noticed the cold glare he shared with Tobirama. But neither male spoke to each other- they seemed to have a silent agreement to avoid one another, even when working together.

Madara walked up to him with a stern frown on his lips, "I am not the kind to intervene in the matters of others, but if I hear Hashirama ask me why you hate him one more time, I cannot be held accountable for any drastic measures I partake in."

Kakuzu quirked an eyebrow at the almost-growl that Madara's voice had adopted, but said nothing. He was still very much insulted by Hashirama's offer to pay for him, even though he _knew_ he was being childish about it.

Madara's eyes narrowed into a cold glare, but one that wasn't as scathing as the one he had sent Tobirama earlier. Then he crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled, before eventually saying, "You are lucky you are one of the few interesting people currently residing within this village- I still wish to speak about strategy within and outside of war with you."

That was an interesting way of telling him that he wished to keep some sort of friendship with him, but it at least let Kakuzu know that Madara had a mind of his own.

When the Uchiha left to speak with the clan members he had brought along with him, Kakuzu was allowed a reprieve from any further conversation. His members had already been informed about their assignment and they were all working on gathering their chakra for the task they would be embarking on in a few minutes. Kakuzu decided to ground himself as well- he was about to lose a lot of chakra today and he needed to concentrate a hundred percent on this one task.

By the time Hashirama arrived, he felt his chakra pulsing throughout his whole body, the air around him buzzing almost audibly because of the power within him.

He hated to admit this... but seeing Hashirama with heavy bags under his eyes and clear sadness on his face... it caused Kakuzu's concentration to falter. His control over his chakra wavered the electricity at the tips of his fingers began to recede within his body yet again.

Growling deep from his chest, Kakuzu chided himself for being so _vulnerable_ to a _man_.

Hashirama walked up to him with utmost caution, as if walking up to a wild animal. And Kakuzu stopped himself just in time to _halt_ the feelings of guilt that tried to bubble up within him.

"Kakuzu... I don't know what I did... But I'm sorry about it." Hashirama whispered when he was directly in front of him... And Kakuzu _desperately_ tried to stay angry with the man that had insulted him by showing _pity_.

But there was an unavoidable twinge of ache in his heart because of seeing Hashirama so sad and defeated. There was an undeniable feeling of guilt for having overreacted to such a degree that Hashirama had been left like this. And, unfortunately, there was a need deep within his heart to make this _right_.

Kakuzu frowned as he turned away from the Senju, then grunted, "Never offer to pay anything for me ever again."

Because he had turned away from the man, Kakuzu wasn't able to see Hashirama's body prepare itself for a jump. But when he felt strong and warm arms wrap around his shoulders, he froze on the spot, his brain short circuiting at affection he was not accustomed to feeling. And when he was pulled into a sturdy body, he could do little more than tense up completely and prepare himself for a possible attack- he had no idea how to react.

"I'll do everything in my power to never hurt you again, Kuzu! I promise."

Kakuzu's brain worked overtime to figure out that it was Hashirama hugging him and he was not currently in any danger. Regrettably, it took him a while to figure this out. And by the time he had figured it out, Hashirama had been hugging him for much too long...

With a quick but soft push at the man's shoulders, Kakuzu extricated himself from the embrace. And he had planned on telling him that just because he had been forgiven, it didn't meant that they were friends again.

The look of pure hope in those bright eyes cut off those words before they had even formed in Kakuzu's mouth.

"You're too affectionate." He eventually finished on, earning a happy smile from the Senju.

Luckily enough, Tobirama called for his older brother at that point, earning his attention for long enough to allow Kakuzu to step away from him.

As the brothers spoke, Kakuzu felt eyes on the back of his head. And when he looked behind him, it was to find that his clan members were looking at him, distrust clear within their eyes.

Kakuzu frowned and shook his head at them- they were still among allies and there was no need for them to doubt Hashirama Senju so much.

"Alright, you all know your assignments!" Madara shouted among the grouping of earth-release users. "The Etō clan head will begin the creation- you are all to back him up. Don't mess up."

Now all eyes were on him; he was even able to hear a few whispers of doubt and disbelief around him. Kakuzu rolled his shoulders and focused himself once again- regaining control over his chakra. Then he stepped towards the area Tobirama had marked off for the initial mountain that would start off the mountain chain surrounding Konohagakure.

This time around, he was able to hear the gasps of surprise and astonishment that broke out around him when he was able to push the hill he had previously created into a small mountain. The only reason he did not completely drain his chakra reserves was because of the speedy intervention of his clan members pushing their own chakra into the ground- all the while the rest of the ninja around him gawked at what they had just witnessed.

Luckily enough, with twin barks of command from Tobirama and Madara, the rest of the shinobi around them snapped back to reality and aided him in creating a large mountain- a process that took a few hours and left them all mostly drained from chakra.

Once they were finished, Kakuzu stepped away, head light and uncomfortable- but at least this time he wasn't bleeding from his eyes.

Hashirama- unsurprisingly- made his way towards him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. But Kakuzu was much too exhausted from utilizing most of his chakra to properly tense up at the contact.

"If we keep this up, Kuzu, we'll have completed Tobirama's plans in no time."

To the right, Kakuzu swore he heard Madara grumble. But he was much too tired to properly care about such a thing. He instead leaned into Hashirama's side and luxuriated in the warmth that seeped into his side.

He _loathed_ just how much comfort Hashirama exuded without even trying. There was no way to get around it... Hashirama Senju was his greatest weakness. He felt like he could be _vulnerable_ around the man... And unless he wanted to cause Hashirama a great amount of pain, Kakuzu would just have to live with this great vulnerability for the rest of his life.

~/~

"I was never part of the clan head's lineage." His newest friend offered with a small sigh as he tossed the chicken into the dented wok. "In the clan, I was considered a commoner. A powerful and useful one- a perfect tool for the clan head's family to use in war; a glorified bodyguard. I was never raised to _lead_."

For a moment after this had been said, they were both silent. Hashirama cut up the onion and Kakuzu moved the chicken around with a wooden, torn up spoon.

"Then... How did you become the clan head?" The Senju questioned softly, more than aware that he was currently walking over egg shells around his friend. But, luckily enough, this time he was _aware_ of this being a sensitive subject.

Kakuzu was a private man. He did not talk about his clan. He did not talk about his home. He barely talked about himself. Everything they had spoken about until right now had been about Konohagakure and possible investments and constructions they could make. He had only allowed Hashirama to get to know him on a superficial level.

This was akin to Madara talking to him about Izuna's paralysis, he was sure. Or Tobirama about the mysterious jutsu he wanted to keep tightly classified.

"As I'm sure you've heard, the Etō were-_ are_\- extremely conservative. The man's place of power was so important to them that only a man could be clan head- only an active shinobi could be clan head." With a sigh that came straight from the soul, Kakuzu hung his head and stopped moving the chicken, allowing it to sizzle softly. "Yuu is blind. Capable in a battle, but too vulnerable and weak to ever be allowed the prestige of clan head. I was the only other male left in what little remains of my clan."

A conservative and male-exalting clan.

Could his clan's traditions be one of the reasons why he was so jumpy whenever Hashirama tried to touch him? … It would make sense, really.

Kakuzu was only one year older than him. Realistically speaking, Hashirama had much more on his plate than him. He was trying to create a whole _village_; Kakuzu was merely trying to keep his family alive. But somehow, in Hashirama's mind, this seemed to be too much of a burden on his friend. And if he could, he would gladly take some of his burdens off his shoulders.

"Well, to not have been raised to lead, you're doing a fine job."

Kakuzu remained quiet, lips pressed into a tight line as his eyebrows drew into a frustrated glare. Then he pulled the chicken out of the wok, placed it on a cracked bowl, and drizzled a small amount of oil onto the wok.

"I call the terrain we came from the Land of Void. Void; nothing; an all encompassing absence; a _vacuum_." Now the man's voice was strained and Hashirama could see the tightness that ran all along his body. "Do you know what my clan members call that very hell?"

Even with the tightness in his body, Kakuzu reached out and grabbed the cut up onions from Hashirama and threw them into the wok. Hashirama watched the vegetable cook and crackle for a moment, then aided Kakuzu by throwing in the broccoli and mushrooms for him. There was an abundance of vegetables. But there was a marked lack of chicken for the three siblings to eat.

Was the price of meat still too high for the refugees?

"Your family doesn't really speak much with me." He offered, trying to not make it sound like they were actively avoiding interaction with non-clan members; even though they both knew the reason behind Kakuzu's family remaining separated from the rest of the refugees.

Kakuzu actually hissed in disdain. "The Land of Heaven. That's what they call it. They're blinded by traditions and refuse to acknowledge how horrible that place was to us."

Hashirama felt his heart clench.

At that very moment, all he wanted to do was walk up to Kakuzu and hug him tightly; he wanted to tell the older man that he had gotten away from the Land of Void; he wanted to promise that he would do everything in his power to make sure the Etō clan prospered in their new home. But he knew that if he did such a thing, Kakuzu would mistake it for pity. And the last thing he needed was for Kakuzu to ignore him for another two weeks straight because of a misunderstanding.

Instead of directly comforting his newest friend, Hashirama merely said, "Then it's a good thing that you've proved to be the driving force behind Tobirama's mountain project. The Etō clan will undoubtedly be considered important after everything you have done for Konohagakure."

There was a moment of silence between them.

The kitchen was beginning to get uncomfortably hot because of the smoke that was coming from the stove. Hashirama took a step away from Kakuzu and patted his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. Kakuzu shrugged off his large coat- revealing incredibly toned arms... and forearms with geometrically shaped rings tattooed onto them.

Hashirama was sure that there was a story behind those identical tattoos. He knew better than to prod Kakuzu after he had already opened up with something that had left him so vulnerable.

He was just happy that Kakuzu felt trusting enough to tell him such a thing.

~/~

Kakuzu sighed as Hashirama bid his goodbye and left through his home's front door.

Having prepared dinner with the man had been... _an experience_.

The invitation to cook something together had come from Hashirama himself- undoubtedly in an attempt to eat together once again without accidentally offending his friend yet again. He had brought the vegetables with the excuse that he couldn't cook for the life of him- offering them to Kakuzu so they could prepare a dish together.

Kakuzu, as weak as he was to Hashirama, had not been able to muster up the strength to tell him no.

"You prepared dinner?" Kayda questioned as she entered through the small hut they had been able to create from the plot of land they had bought for their clan.

Their houses were huts made of the ground below them. Kakuzu, Kamiko, Mamiko, and Asuka had created four houses to house three members of the clan each. Kakuzu, of course, lived with his two sisters. The twins were the only ones that were able to stomach Yuu's annoying ways. And the rest had divided themselves up with the people they liked the most.

Even though the structures were rudimentary, their clan had managed to quickly create a reputation for an efficient and quick work ethic, along with a clear lack of care for being tired. Many of the shinobi with money now favored contracting one of them for many jobs because they were so great at anything they worked at. And, because of this, they had been able to create a small fortune that had allowed them to buy productive appliances that helped make their days easier. Their stove was one that worked off of gas and they had gotten a good deal on a couple of containers from Akimichi chefs.

Without bothering to answer his sister, Kakuzu picked up the plates he and Hashirama had used to eat dinner. He walked over to the large clay bowl they utilized to wash their dishes, then walked out of this temporary hut to pick up the rainwater of the day.

Luckily for them, the rainy season in the Land of Fire was beginning. They wouldn't have to waste any money on water if they utilized their resources intelligently.

"I see Hashirama was here." Kamiko told him as soon as he entered with the bucket of rainwater through the door, Kakuzu grumble quietly in confusion.

Much like him, Kamiko wasn't a rather talkative individual. She merely pointed at the gaudy red jacket the man had taken to wearing because of the rain that pelted them most days.

Kayda was in the kitchen when he returned, kept busy with serving herself from the stir-fry he had made out of most of Hashirama's ingredients. But when she heard the Senju's name, she turned around with a fierce glare on her face.

Kakuzu stopped himself from breathing in with regret.

As he poured some water into the clay bowl, Kayda unleashed her scathing verbal attacks. "That man is not only a disgrace to his clan, but a walking insult to our heritage! I don't care what you think of him, big brother, it is clear that he pities us!" Then she gasped dramatically, "Don't tell me these vegetables were brought here by him! That's charity- we do not need it!"

He didn't want to deal with this.

Kakuzu rose up from the ground, breathed in, and turned his head to the left so Kayda could only see half of his face.

"You are my sisters. I appreciate you and your concerns." He told them, voice taking on a stern edge as he narrowed his eyes. "But do not think that just because you are my sisters, you have any more say within the dealings of this clan than the rest of the kunoichi. I am clan head and I have the final say in matters that _directly _affect our members."

He had never thought he would be utilizing his power against his sisters. But every single day, it was the same irritated ranting from all of his clan members: "We never should have left the Land of Heaven. _This is not our home_."

He was _sick_ of it. And he was _drained_ from all of the unfounded hatred his clan members felt for Hashirama Senju.

"Unless you are all willing to prove to me that one of the decisions I have made is deliberately harming our clan, I do not want to hear another _word_ against Konohagakure or the people within."

Kayda had tears within her eyes.

His voice was tight and cold- exactly the voice their father had once used to enforce discipline within his children.

Kamiko was distraught as well, but held more self-control than Kayda and didn't allow any tears to fill her own.

"You are both more than aware of the laws of our clan. The safety and comfort of our people is what matters the most. Prove to me that we would be better off in the Land of Void," upon saying this, Kakuzu wasn't able to keep control of his anger and pain any longer. He ended up growling, in pure anger, "A land where we are still hunted down like _animals_..."

He stopped himself then.

Both his sisters were completely stunned; quiet in their surprise.

Kakuzu turned back to the clay bowl, then grabbed one of the plates to begin cleaning it.

With a sigh, he finished, "I only want to ensure our family's survival."

They left him alone after this.

~/~

"I am Uzumaki." The red haired woman had a gentle smile on her lips, "Mito Uzumaki."

Hashirama quirked an eyebrow as the woman bowed marginally in greeting to his best friend.

Kakuzu himself seemed equally confused, his eyebrows drawn in as his upper lip pursed slightly outwards.

A curious or confused Kakuzu, Hashirama had learned, was an adorable Kakuzu. Because, as he had learned throughout his life, being a completely competent shinobi with the ability to kill someone in mere seconds with only their bare hands as a weapon did not detract from the level of cuteness that radiated from them. Kakuzu was one such shinobi- even though Hashirama did not dare say this out loud in the fear of the man closing himself off even further.

"... A pleasure to meet you." Kakuzu answered eventually, offering his own bow towards the woman.

She smiled up at him, but that melted into a confused frown the more she focused on his face. "Pardon my forwardness... But I had been under the impression that you would have _dark_ eyes."

"Dark?"

_Uzumaki_... Hashirama was sure that this name was supposed to have meant _something_ to him.

"Of course. I hope you do not take this as confrontation, but I had been led to believe that you had dark eyes." The woman answered levelly, seeming to keep a serene air around her even as she lost her smile. "As small a lie as it may be, I still consider it something troublesome to have been told your eyes were so ordinary when, in reality, they are rather breathtaking."

Hashirama felt his heart swoon at the scene before him. Clearly, this woman was captivated by Kakuzu. For some reason, she had been led to believe that his eyes were _different_, but that could simply be attributed to a misunderstanding when someone spoke about the clan the man belonged to.

Kakuzu either did not care about the woman's possible feelings for him... Or just had no idea that they existed..

"Who told you that? Someone has to be blind to mistake my eyes." Kakuzu huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

The woman frowned.

_Oh_ _no._

"Is your clan's most trusted advisor blind?" The woman asked with a huff of her own, "He was the one to send us the latest communication of your current looks."

_Latest communication of your current__ looks_?

Something about this seemed rather _odd_ to Hashirama... Just how did this Mito woman know about Kakuzu and his clan?

Still, Kakuzu didn't seem bothered at all by the oddness of the situation. He scoffed, "This proves that you have no idea who you're talking to. My clan's advisor is blind. I'm not the person you're looking for."

The composed air around the woman was still very clear, but it was also clearly faltering. The woman's eyes narrowed and her cheeks puffed, a tinge of red appearing as she rolled her shoulders and adopted a ramrod straight posture.

"Are you not Hashirama Senju?" She challenged and immediately all of the pieces of the puzzle clicked within Hashirama's mind.

From the way Kakuzu frowned and closed his eyes, it was easy to tell that he had also figured out what had happened.

In the woman's defense, he and Kakuzu _might_ be confused from simple descriptions. They were both remarkably tall individuals, their hair was long and dark, and their skin was tanned from so much time spent in the sun. But there were rather clear to see differences to them that easily separated them; one of them being their eyes.

"Not at all. The giggling buffoon over there is the idiot you're looking for." Kakuzu jutted a thumb in Hashirama's direction and the man wasn't able to contain himself any further.

He fell into a fit of laughter, causing the woman's face to adopt a sharp red color that melted into the red of her hair. As he laughed, he heard Kakuzu grumble about idiots, then, when he opened his eyes, he found Mito Uzumaki staring at him slack-jawed.

"This fool is to be my future husband?" She gasped with clear lament, and Hashirama would have laughed at the absolute absurdity of the situation... if not for the fact that her question knocked all of the air out of his lungs. "_That_ is the remarkable Hashirama Senju?"

~/~

Of course Hashirama Senju had a promised wife. Of course the strongest member of the Senju Clan was to be wed only to a predetermined woman. _Of course yet another thing would happen to ruin the tentative peace they had managed to shakily create._

Logically speaking, Kakuzu should have seen this coming. And logically speaking, he should just accept the arranged marriage because there was nothing he could do to change it- for _various_ reasons.

But it _hurt_.

It hurt and Kakuzu couldn't stop it from hurting, no matter how much he tried to remind himself that Hashirama Senju was not his and was never going to _be_ his either. Relationships between males were not just frowned upon within his clan- they could mean _death_ in certain cases.

He should have seen the arrival of Mito Uzumaki as a blessing. It gave him _yet another_ logical reason to stop _yearning_ for Hashirama Senju. It even gave him a reason to separate himself from the man- Mito and Hashirama would need some time to truly get to know one another before all other preparations between their clans finalized. They needed to make sure that they didn't completely hate each other- apparently one of the parameters put forth by the Uzumaki.

Like a _damned fool_, Kakuzu didn't listen to reason when it came to Hashirama Senju, not even after his heart had been ripped out of his chest by the announcement of the arranged marriage.

"Tomorrow will be the day we finalize this mountain chain."

He should have listened to Kayda and Kamiko. He should have heeded the concerns of the members of his clan. He should have kept a distance from the head of the Senju clan- they should have only stayed in Konoha temporarily without making plans to make their lives there permanent.

Now Kakuzu was forced to watch Hashirama Senju slowly fall in love with Mito Uzumaki with each passing day... And all he could do was watch from the sidelines, losing a piece of himself every single time Hashirama voiced out his appreciation of the woman.

If only he had been a woman... _No. Not even then._ If he had been a woman, his clan would never have even reached Konoha. It was a good thing he was a man... or, at least, that's what he tried to tell himself.

"That is absolutely impressive." Mito remarked in that honest yet detached way only a person raised in nobility could muster. "And you are the driving force behind this project, Kakuzu?"

Hashirama, apparently, was a fan of gushing over him to Mito. The woman knew more about him than Kakuzu actually liked.

Kakuzu knew it was stupid to hate the woman. He knew that it wasn't her fault that Hashirama was promised to her. He knew that if it was up to her, she would be back Uzushiogakure, safe from any of her enemies and perfectly happy to have complete control of her destiny. He knew that if the woman had any say in her life, she would never have even contemplated Hashirama as a possible partner when they had first met.

Kakuzu knew this because, much like Hashirama, Mito _trusted_ him. For some reason, he was her biggest confidant within Konohagakure.

In a way, he could understand this. He was the first person she had directly talked to. He was the first person, aside from Hashirama, she had met when she had reached the offices of the leader of Konohagakure. He was the only person outside of the Uzumaki and Senju to know about the arranged nature of her and Hashirama's relationship.

If only he could force himself to leave Hashirama behind... If only that, then he could get away from the pain that Hashirama and Mito caused him within his life. But he wasn't strong enough to do this. So he stayed in a horrible position; seeing Mito and Hashirama mutually compliment each other and slowly fall deeper in love.

"He's impressive, isn't he?" Hashirama breathed out in undisguised marvel, "Konohagakure owes a large debt to him and his clan! I don't think we would have been able to go through with these natural fortifications without them."

Kakuzu closed his eyes and crossed his arms, keeping his face focused in the direction of the chain of mountains the two were talking about. Fortunately for him, whenever they got like this, they would only look at one another. He was able to wallow in his own pain without trying to force enjoyment for a few seconds when this happened.

"I think it says a lot about your own weaknesses that you required the aid of someone outside of your new village for something so important." Mito taunted without any clear edge to her voice, only trying to incite Hashirama for her own enjoyment. She knew he wasn't the sharpest kunai in the pouch- he tended to take things at face value. "_But_," she continued without letting Hashirama say anything; her voice now adopted a genuine softness, "It is remarkable and impressive to see what you have all worked to accomplish together."

Mito had also admitted to him, at some point, that she considered him slightly more attractive than Hashirama. If she had a say in which clan head she was forced to marry, she would not have necessarily been saddened if he had been the number one choice.

Kakuzu had, of course, been bothered by this confession and had told her so. Mito had merely waved him off, _"You offer so much more stimulating conversational topics than Hashirama. He may be cute, but you're much more entertaining. Besides, the strong-quiet type is quite attractive to most women."_

There was no need for actual love within an arranged marriage. But for this specific one, there was a need for, at the very least, an _amicable_ relationship.

Luckily for the arrangement, the more time Mito and Hashirama spent together, the more they liked one another. Unfortunately for Kakuzu... it seemed that Mito was here to stay. And even worse yet, both Mito and Hashirama considered him so important in their lives that he wasn't able to get away from them for more than a week without one of them seeking him out in worry.

He knew. He had tried. It had taken Hashirama three days without seeing him to search for him. Mito had waited a week to look for him.

Every single time he saw them together, Kakuzu felt the sorrow within him grow exponentially. But he could do nothing to stop himself from feeling like this. He couldn't even force himself to leave them alone- he valued Hashirama too much to willingly hurt him.

Once upon a time, he hadn't given a shit about what others thought of him. But Hashirama was an exception. And Mito was now an integral part of Hashirama- if she was hurt, then he was hurt. And Kakuzu couldn't hurt _her_ because, in the end, it all just came back to Hashirama.

"Tomorrow, Tobirama and Madara will finally be pleased with all of this hard work." When Kakuzu opened his eyes, it was to find that both of them were looking at him.

Their whole conversation, he had not said a single thing.

With an internal sigh, Kakuzu nodded at them. He kept his face devoid of all emotions- no relief; no pain; _nothing._

"Tomorrow must be amazing, then."

Kakuzu loathed every tomorrow. And, in a similar manner, he yearned for the yesterdays that had gone by- yesterdays without Mito; yesterdays where it had only been him and Hashirama that mattered.

He hated himself for being so weak.

~/~

"And the project that has taken us half a year is finally complete!"

Hashirama rushed Kakuzu without a second's hesitation. He grabbed the man and hugged him tightly, praising him for how good a job he had accomplished in the time they had known each other.

Kakuzu, like he always did after exhausting most of his chakra reserves, leaned into him and rejoiced in the hug. Hashirama, in turn, rejoiced in the feeling of the other man's body against him- it wasn't normal for Kakuzu to allow physical contact and Hashirama loved what scraps of it he could get.

All around them, all of the earth-release users they had contracted to aid in the creation of the mountain chain erupted into cheers. Not only had they finished a monumental, virtually inhuman task, they had also ensured extra safety measure for the Village that was to become their home.

Celebrations were called out and in less than an hour, all of those that had worked on the mountain chain project were within the Akimichi clan compound, where food and drink was ample. Hashirama spent most of his time latched onto Kakuzu, proud of the fact that if it hadn't been for _him_ believing in Kakuzu, then none of this would have been possible from the beginning. But at one point, his great friend was called up by his clan members.

When this happened, Mito found her way to him and they began to speak about possible accommodations for the honeymoon they wished to take part in after their marriage- they were even thinking about asking their closest friends to accompany them so it would be a joint vacation for those that had worked hard in the past year.

Kakuzu, of course, was at the top of Hashirama's mind for such a plan- much like Madara and Tobirama.

"I'm extremely sure that my sister would like Kakuzu, Hashirama. I mean, I've told you before-"

Hashirama rolled his eyes as Mito took a sip of her wine, accompanied with a sly shrug of her shoulders.

"Yes, I know, Mito. Kakuzu would have been your first choice," he soon laughed, shaking his head. "Unfortunately for you, Lady Hokage, you're now stuck with me."

The Uzumaki scrunched up her nose, "I hate that title. It sounds atrocious. And certainly makes it seem as if you do not believe a woman could actually be the leader of your nation."

Hashirama froze at the clear jab, "Uh..." but wasn't able to come up with an answer.

Mito merely scoffed and shook her head, then mumbled about idiotic Senju.

Hashirama offered an apologetic smile, then looked over in the direction Kakuzu had left in. He found the man standing in front of his blind advisor, Yuu… And Hashirama was put on high alert as soon as he noticed the _weariness_ that was now etched onto the other man's face.

Quickly, he excused himself from Mito and walked towards Kakuzu. Once he was near the man, he voiced his arrival and worry, "Is everything alright?"

Yuu was a strong man; old, but dangerous. In a way, he sometimes reminded Hashirama of his own father. But Yuu was nearing an old age his father had never managed- his hair was almost completely gray at this point and wrinkles were beginning to take over his face.

"Great news, Lord Hokage."

He still hadn't completely internalized the fact that he was the leader of a nation of shinobi. He joked about it, sure, but... well, it was still astonishing to him that he had been voted to lead a Hidden Village at such a young age. And he was even more surprised when those older than him utilized such a respectful title when referring to him.

"The Land of Heaven has contacted our clan to begin construction of a Hidden Village of our own. I was simply informing our clan head of this joyous information." Yuu spoke calmly, but there was a subtle venom to his voice that left Hashirama with a bad taste in his mouth. "Not only will the Etō be able to return to our home, but we will also be able to promise an alliance with your Village once we have constructed our own."

Hashirama stopped looking at him when he finished his first sentence. Instead he turned his gaze onto Kakuzu, noticing the stiffness of his whole body and the harshness to his eyes.

"Kakuzu... Are you-"

"Of course he is pleased to hear such good news." Yuu interrupted, "This means that he will be able to continue leading his family within our rightful home. Our troubles in the Land of Heaven have been terminated- there is no need for us to remain as refugees within your village. And as a leader of the Hidden Village project, he will be able to keep a close connection with the land that helped us in our time of need."

After he finished saying this, Yuu bowed slightly at Kakuzu, "Your leadership certainly has helped our clan prosper in these treacherous times. You should be proud of yourself."

After saying this, the elder left them.

All around them, the party continued in full swing. No one bothered them, much too caught up in their own happiness to even wonder why the ever happy Hashirama Senju currently wore a devastated frown on his face.

"Kakuzu..." He tried yet again, this time lifting his arm to place his hand on the older man's shoulder.

Kakuzu closed his eyes and breathed out, "Not once..." His voice was strained- Hashirama's heart _tore_. "Not _once_ have they called this village _theirs_. They consider themselves outsiders and never even tried to make Konohagakure their home- this was always temporary in their eyes."

Ever since the day Kakuzu had confided in him about his lack of preparation for the role of clan head, Hashirama had not seen the other man so vulnerable- _in so much pain_.

At that moment, he felt the impulse to wrap the man up in his arms and never let go. At that moment, he wanted to proclaim to Kakuzu that no one would make him leave his new home- he would kidnap him and keep him locked away from his family if it was necessary. At that moment... At that moment, Hashirama wanted nothing more than to keep Kakuzu forever by his side.

Why... Why did he feel like this? Why were tears springing up in his eyes at the very thought of Kakuzu leaving him? Why did he feel like this was where his happiness ended?

_Why did the thought of Kakuzu leaving hurt so much?_

With a clear of his throat, Kakuzu grabbed Hashirama's attention once more.

Not once did the man look at him.

"We leave in the morning." he cleared his throat yet again- could it have been because he was fighting back tears, much like Hashirama himself? "I guess... I guess this is goodbye, Hashirama."

Hashirama wanted- no, he _needed_ Kakuzu to stay in Konoha.

"They can't do this, Kakuzu. This is your ho-"

Kakuzu grabbed him by the arm, yanking him swiftly away from the rest of the party. Even with the tight grip that would undoubtedly leave a bruise on Hashirama's upper arm, he did not fight Kakuzu off.

When they were outside of the Akimichi home, they were met with a darkened sky. Thunder broke out- a soft drizzle began a few seconds after they had stepped out.

"Believe me, Hashirama Senju, when I say that I would give _everything_ to stay in Konoha." Kakuzu was still looking away from him, now at the night sky.

Hashirama tried to ask him why he _had_ to leave; but Kakuzu interrupted him yet again.

"If it were up to me... If it were up to _me_, I would _never_ go back to the Land of Void. I would never even _help_ create a Hidden Village there- no matter if I were to go back to create it or not. If it were up to me, I would stay in Konohagakure and live the life I've created for myself here..." Now Kakuzu sighed, falling silent.

Hashirama noticed that Kakuzu wouldn't speak again, so he decided to speak now. "Then... Then why don't you _stay_?"

Kakuzu lowered his head- was that a tear falling down his cheek. "Because I _can't_."

~/~

Leaving Konohagakure was the worst mistake of his life. Not just because he did the one thing he had never wanted to do... it wasn't just because he _hurt Hashirama..._

It was the worst mistake of his life because he left the only home he had ever managed to find.

~/~

Hashirama cried the day Kakuzu left Konohagakure with the rest of his clan. He cried every single day for the rest of the week. And even months later, after he had thought he had gotten over his great friend's departure... If he thought of him, he still chanced the risk of crying over the leaving of his great friend.

Konohagakure just didn't feel like home without Kakuzu.

..~..~..

So, it took more than a month, but here is the second chapter of this three-shot! I hope you all enjoyed the sweet-sweet angst! And I hope you're ready for yet another chapter of pure angst- it's only going to get worse before it gets any better!

Please review and tell me what y all thought.


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